Purpose: :
It has been reported that in vivo, mammalian Müllerglial cells could be converted to neuronal cells when stimulatedby intravitreous injection of N–methyl–d–aspartate.However, its neuronal differentiation potential in vitro hasyet to be confirmed. Here we report methods to induce neuronaldifferentiation of mammalian Müller glial cells in vitro.

Methods: :
Rat Müller glial cells were obtained from 2–week–oldLong–Evans rats and cultured in the presence of serum.They were then passed onto non–adhesive coating culturedishes in the serum–free defined medium. After 5 days–culture,they were transferred to ornathine–laminin pre–coatedchamberslides and further cultured for 7 days. Platelet–derivedgrowth factor (PDGF) and varproic acid (VPA) were added to theculture either alone or simultaneously to stimulate neuronaldifferentiation.

Conclusions: :
Mammalian Müller glial cells could be convertedto a neuronal lineage in vitro by a combinatorial method ofaggregation culture with neuronal differentiation –inducingfactors. These results imply that Müller glial cells couldbe a new source of neuronal cells for cell replacement therapyof such as retinitis pigmentosa.